An LNG plant in the U.S. was planning the renovation and expansion of its existing facilities, as well as replacing and installing new pipelines for transmission and distribution. Before construction began, the client needed to be sure the potential risks were identified and successfully managed to prevent any release of LNG and damage to their existing equipment and storage tank. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plays a vital role in meeting energy demands during the coldest months of the year, therefore expansion construction had to be done without pulling the plant out of operation, adding additional challenging logistical hurdles during the process.
The client was confident that the plant design risks had been identified, and that the new equipment would operate safely and reliably. But they had questions about possible risks during construction in their live facility and how the hazards were going to be managed. They also knew it was important for them to understand the current industry standard requirements from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and government regulatory authorities like OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Members of the ioMosaic team performed a detailed Construction Hazard Analysis (CHA) to ensure that hazards and potential risks were identified and adequate safeguards were put in place. ioMosaic conducted the risk analysis using different techniques such as Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) and What-if. A CHA concentrates on the construction or high risk maintenance activities being performed that could result in a loss of containment or significant release of energy. The same types of causes evaluated in a PHA are used to find potential risks: equipment failures, human factors failures, and external events.
ioMosaic worked closely with the facility’s engineering, safety, design, and construction leads to balance the construction requirements, scheduling, logistics, and safety needs. Teams worked together to ensure designs and systems met Federal safety standards and relevant RAGAGEP. Our professionals identified any risk and compliance gaps and delivered associated recommendations with clear guidance on how the client could reduce their risk and prevent potential process safety incidents.
The client received detailed reports and a summary of recommendations delivered in a format that allowed the tracking of action items to their completion. The client’s team leads were also informed of the risks and consequences of past LNG incidents and gained important skills on how to better manage safety in the facility. As a result of the Construction Hazard Analysis (CHA), there was no LNG release and no damage to the storage tank and equipment during this multi-year project. The plant is still operating safely and reliably today, with no adverse effects on safety, the environment, finances, or reputation.